When a Creepy Guy Starts Texting You Repeatedly, Do Not Do This:

Here’s a cautionary tale from Valleywag: a girl got a ride from Lyft (an app which lets you order chauffeured cars), and at the end of the ride, the chauffeur asked for her number. The girl did what many women do when a guy they’re not interested asks for their number: she gave it to him anyway, to avoid awkwardness.

Except then the creepy chauffeur started texting her — a lot — and his messages became increasingly troubled. The girl rejects his advances — at first, politely, then, emphatically (do not contact me again), he doesn’t react well, she explains to him how CRAZY he’s acting, which leads him to really pull out the big guns (“I just found out I have cancer.” “False diagnosis. I’m ok.”), and the text exchange goes on, and on, and on. [Read the whole thing here.]

It’s a delightfully unbelievable read, but if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, take note: if you don’t want to go out with someone, you don’t owe them an explanation. You don’t owe them a response. You don’t owe them anything. If they can’t take no for an answer, do not respond again. And just block their number. (And also: don’t feel pressured to give someone your number!)